Windows 11 Build 22621.1470 and 22624.1470 arrives with new Live Captions, Touch Keyboards, more

Microsoft has announced Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1470 and 22624.1470 to the Beta Channel.

These builds also include the improved widget board of the Canary Channel build, as well as new USB4 hubs and devices Settings page of the Dev Channel build, and several more improvements.

Windows 11 Builds also include the option to have the search box in light mode while the Taskbar is in dark mode

With Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22621.1470 and 22624.1470 to the Beta Channel, Microsoft enables System Tray to show a glanceable VPN status icon over the active network connection when connected to a recognized VPN profile.

These builds also add the new USB4 Settings page, revamped Widget board, the ability to show seconds in the clock on the system tray, several fixes, and other improvements including the ability to set the search box to light mode while the rest of the Windows 11 stays in dark mode.

Here is the full change log shared by Microsoft:

We are adding USB4 hubs and a devices Settings page for users under Settings > Bluetooth & devices > USB > USB4 Hubs and Devices. USB4 enables new productivity scenarios for docking, high-performance peripherals, displays, and charging. The USB4 settings page provides information about the system’s USB4 capabilities and attached peripherals on a USB4-capable system. These insights are meant to assist with troubleshooting in case users need support from their device manufacturer (OEM) or system administrator. The features provided by this page are:

• View the tree of connected USB4 hubs and devices.
• View attributes and capabilities associated with the USB4 domain.
• Copy the details into the clipboard so it can be shared with customer support or system administrators for troubleshooting.

If the system does not support USB4 with the Microsoft USB4 Connection Manager, this page will not be displayed.

To confirm whether your system is USB4 capable or not, check for “USB4 Host Router” populating in the Device Manager.

Changes and Improvements in Build 22624.1470

General

• Users will now see a copy button for quickly copying two-factor authentication (2FA) codes in notification toasts from apps installed on the PC or from phones linked to the PC. We make our best effort to determine if a notification toast has an authentication code but please send us feedback if we got it wrong or if we failed to detect the code in a notification toast.

Taskbar & System Tray

•  have added a glanceable VPN status into the system tray when connected to a recognized VPN profile. The VPN icon, a small shield, will be overlayed in your system accent color over the active network connection.

• In response to user feedback, we are introducing the capability to show seconds in the clock on the system tray. This feature can be enabled by toggling the option listed under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar in the Taskbar behavior section. You can also right-click on the taskbar to quickly get to taskbar settings. UPDATE: This experience is currently not working as expected – see the known issues below.

Changes and Improvements for BOTH Build 22621.1470 & Build 22624.1470

Search on the Taskbar

• The search box on the taskbar will be lighter when Windows is set to a custom color mode. Specifically, when the Windows 11 mode is set to dark, and the app mode is set to light under Settings > Personalization > Colors you will see a lighter search box on the taskbar.

Read more:

• Apple CarPlay is now available in all Lucid Air electric vehicles
• The battle against misinformation: can Twitter’s $1,000 verified organizations help?